Oman protests see police fire tear gas in flashpoint city

Police in Oman have fired tear gas at demonstrators in a flashpoint city amid unrest over the sultanate’s floundering economy and mass layoffs

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Police in Oman fired tear gas Wednesday at demonstrators in a flashpoint city amid unrest over the sultanate's floundering economy and mass layoffs. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the police action in Sohar, a city some 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Muscat. Demonstrators had marched and collected around an overpass that has been a rallying point. Activists posted videos online showing some demonstrators responding by throwing rocks after police fired the tear gas. They described the demonstrations as peaceful, though videos showed they had shut down a major thoroughfare in the city. Hours later, the state-run Oman News Agency alleged that some protesters had been “assaulting policemen, passers-by, drivers and blocking public and subsidiary roads” in Sohar. It also accused protesters of “attacking public and private property,” while saying many others had urged fellow demonstrators to be peaceful.